Improvement in bee-hives



PATENT OFFICE J. H. STARR, OF MIDDLEBURG, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.`

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,471, dated November6, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, J. H. STARR, of Middleburg, in the county ofSchoharie and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedBee-House; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, which will enable ,others skilled in theart to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is afront view of my invention, partly in section 5 Fig. 2, a horizontalsection of the same, taken in the line x fr, Fig. l Fig. 3, a transversevertical section of the same, taken in the line yy, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention .relates to a new and improved housev for the protectionof bees from the extremes of both heat and cold, and also from theravages of the bee-moth.

The invention consists of a close shed or house having an open bottom,in which bases for the hives to rest upon are placed, said bases beingslotted both at their sides and bottoms for the admission of air, andhaving bee-en trances at their front ends. The shed or house is alsoprovided with removable or detachable sides, so arranged that they maybe readily applied to and detached from the structure, as occasion mayrequire.

A represents the shed or house, provided with a roof, a, of eithersingle'or double pitch, and having a frame constructed of four uprightcorner-posts, b, secured at their lower ends in sills e. This structuremaybe of any desired length, according to the number of hives it is t'oreceive, and its depth or Width should slightly exceed the depth of thehives.

The front and rear sides d of the structure are made separately from it,and are secured to it by pins e, which pass horizontally through theupright posts b, and through battens f on the sides d. By thisarrangement the sides d may be readily applied to and detached from thestructure.

B represents bases, which are fitted within the structure and rest uponits sills e. These bases are formed of four cleats, g, secured upon abottom board, h, the latter aswell as the cleats being slotted, as shownat e', for the admission of air into the hives which are placed upon thebases. The front parts or sides of these bases are exposed, the lowerend of the front side, d, not extending below them, and a space oropening, j, is allowed in the fronts of the bases to serve as bee-entrances,

a notched strip, lo, being fitted in the front of y each opening. Thesestrips may be made to close the bee-entranoes entirely by inserting themin the openings with the notches at the rear side.

It will be seen that by this arrangement the hives may be entirelyinelosed, a free entrance. allowed for. the bees, while perfectventilation is obtained by means of the slotted bases B, on which thehives are placed, and the moth or miller will be excluded, theperforations or slots in the bases being too small or narrow for them topass through. During the Winter season the spaces between the hives, andat their front and rear, may be filled with straw or other suitablematerial, and in extremely cold weather a board, at, placed on the basesfor the hives to rest upon, and the bees will be perfectly protectedfrom cold thereby. Dur;-

ing the summer, if desired, the sides el maybe removed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patcnt The bases B, constructed and perforated or slotted asshown, and placed within a bee house or` structure, A, provided withdetachable or removable sides, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

JESSE H. STARR.

I Witnesses:

O. WATRow, PETER GoYs.

